At the current 10th kykNET Silwerskerm Festival, I attended the “Women in Film” panel discussion.
It was hosted by Kaye Ann Williams, who is the M-Net head of Local Productions and Independent Films at MultiChoice and has a writer-producer background.
To say that she has a well-rounded perspective on this subject is no understatement and her questions were not just pertinent, they were insightful and unsettling at the same time.
Her panel included Vloggie Gordon, Layla Swart, Amy Jephta and Thandi Davids, who are respected in the creative space.
They weighed in on issues varying from how they claim their space in an industry that often tends to favour their male counterparts, how they deal with fellow women who are enablers instead of allies, and how they change the inequality narrative.
Williams got the conversation started by first reflecting on something that film-maker Ava DuVernay once said about someone opening the door for her in the industry. She went on to add that when she walked through, she kept it open for everyone else behind her.
By homing in on the camaraderie that is sometimes lacking in a world often plagued by PHD (pull her down) syndrome, she helped set the tone of the discussion.
Williams also said: “There are many obstacles that face women in the film industry, globally and locally. I actually read an article from Variety that said, globally, only about 33% of producers are female and 27% of scriptwriters are female, so we are not quite equal in terms of representation just yet, globally.”
She went on to ask her panel to unpack how they navigate challenging situations when they walk into a room to negotiate a deal or are on the precipice of starting a big production and there are six people on that call, with one or two being women.
Jephta wasted little time in responding. She said: “My thing has always been not to be a copycat, to stay unique to who you are. Always be well-researched on who you are meeting with, who is sitting in the room, to understand who you’re dealing with.
“But I think at the end of the day, to keep your integrity and to kind of stick to your guns.
“If you really believe in something, if you believe in your path, if you know that is the right, whatever it is, just stick to your guns. And always know your value as a woman.
“You have a lot of things to contribute to a project and I think the uniqueness of us being women and men, there are different things that you can bring to every project. And that is what fulfils the project.”
Of course, when you are in a room where you are outnumbered, the confidence takes a knock and there is a high risk of imposter syndrome taking over.
Swart said: “Yeah, I think it’s imposter syndrome and all of those things. My biggest challenge has always been to try not to get into a mindset of being a victim. And it’s really hard because often you are.
You are judged. Often you are looked at differently. Often you are not as trusted as your older or male counterparts. For me, it’s been very interesting in terms of my journey of self, of building my confidence.
“I find it is such a cycle with your psyche and sense of self to always step in on the back foot because you know you are on the back foot in that sense.
“It hasn’t been easy but I’ve tried very hard to not look at myself in that way. To not look at what that might project to the people in the room with me. I’ve cried in meetings, I think you were probably in those meetings too. Against my better judgement, fighting against who I actually am all the time until I said, ‘No’.
“You have to find a way to live in the power of being a woman, of being feminine, of knowing what I contribute to space, environment or a project.”
There was a panel quip about someone writing a memoir titled, “Three White Men and Me”, to highlight the inequality that they face.
And it goes beyond that. They have to deal with it and still be able to flourish and leave their stamp on the industry, too.
Williams admitted to being exposed to environments where it was intimidating and stressed that women should never allow anyone to interrupt them in such a situation.
Jephta related to it and also expanded on how she changed her approach and, in so doing, found her strength, voice and confidence.
She said: “People who are not black, who are not women can easily forget and become neutral bodies. You are constantly aware as you are trying to collaborate, while you are trying to be a creative force in the room, and you are also aware of the politics and that is a heavy burden to carry.
“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to harness things that felt like weakness to me and turned them into my strengths.
“When I was younger I would counteract being in a room by trying to assert myself in ways that were louder, firmer, brasher, harsher, I would try to force my way into a conversation. I think as I’ve become older, I’ve learnt to accept that my silence and my ability to observe is part of my strength.
“I think the fact that I’m often underestimated is my biggest strength actually and I harness that as my power.”
Davids placed great emphasis on creating a female-orientated space and how it was of paramount importance, more so with the slate of documentary features she’s working on.
She also flagged the dearth of females in certain creative fields where there is a high demand for them.
“In our last feature documentary, we had to fire our DOP (director of photography) from Canada, because he refused to take direction from our director. He literally would not listen to her. It was completely astounding. So we said, you get outta here. Shape up or ship out, effectively, is key.”
She also pointed out that women don’t always have to pitch a “girl story”. They are equally adept at tackling a cybercrime angle. There is no need for pigeon-holing anymore.
Gordon, who has a wealth of experience under her belt and mentored Swart, pointed out the importance of women doing their homework.
When you know your stuff, it makes it more difficult to be questioned or challenged, she said.
These women – and so many others of the same pioneering ilk in the industry – are becoming a beacon of hope and change.
Given the contributions they are making it won’t be long before the strides made today become the change needed for tomorrow.